Bottleholder



1951 w. H. BRUNELL ETAL 2,536,419

BOTTLEHOLDER Filed Oct. 6, 1949 Patented Jan. 2, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BOTTLEHOLDER Walter H. Brunell and Robert D. Hand, Omaha, Nebr.

Application October 6, 1949, Serial No. 119,916

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to restaurant supplies and more particularly it is an object of this invention to provide a bottle draining device.

It is well known that there is considerable waste of ketchup in restaurants because the last remnants are very difficult to remove from the bottle. Restaurant owners prefer to place bottles on the tables which are at least half fullsince bottles containing only a small amount of almost unavailable ketchup are unattractive and frus trating.

It has not been economical for restaurant help to laboriously shake the contents of nearly empty bottles out into fuller bottles. As a result, much ketchup goes to waste.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a ketchup bottle holding device in the use of which a bottle can be inverted and allowed to drain itself by gravity into another bottle or container.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a device as described having a funnel attached thereto for guiding ketchup into the narrow opening of another bottle.

Still a further object of the invention resides in the provision of an adjustable attachment between a funnel and a standard whereby the device will accommodate bottles of various sizes.

Yet a further object of the invention is to provide a device of marketable appearance.

Yet another object of the invention resides in the provisions of an integral funnel and funnel attachment member which can be rapidly, efficiently, and economically manufactured.

Still a further object of the invention resides in the provision in a device as described of means for supporting the device upon a horizontal surface and of means for attaching the device to a wall hook or the like.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device as described having a funnel portion so shaped as to permit air to pass alongside a bottle inverted therein.

Yet another object of the invention resides in the provision of a base for such a device having an upstanding rim for catching any spilled ketchup and for facilitating the positioning of a bottle thereon.

Yet a further object of the invention is to provide a device as described which can be used for many other fluid substances in addition to ketchp.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a device for the purpose described which is sturdy and durable in construction, reliable and efficient in operation, and relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture, assemble and utilize.

Other and still further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a frontal elevation of the bottleholder of this invention shown with portions thereof broken away.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the bottle-holder of Figure 1 shown with portions thereof broken away.

Figure 3 is a view-in-section taken along the line 33 of Figure l and showing only the upper portion of the holder.

Figure 4 is a view-in-section taken along the line 44 of Figure 1 and of the center section of the holder.

Figure 5 is a view-in-section taken along the line 55 of Figure l. t

Figure 6 is a view-in-section taken along the line 66 of Figure 2.

The bottle-holder of this invention includes a frame or elongated standard it] which is disposed upright in use, as best shown in Figures 1 and 2.

The standard It is provided with an elongated upright slot l2 extending into and through the flat front face It thereof. The slot [2 is provided with a portion of larger width I 6 at its upper end, which latter is preferably transversely disposed in the form of a cross. The standard I 0 has an aperture I 8 therethrough at its upper end; the aperture l3 has a wider bottom end for receiving a screw head and a narrower upper end for receiving the shank of a screw or nail, but of a size smaller than the head of the screw or nail. The aperture I8 is provided so that the standard Iii may be hung on a wall if desired.

The standard It] is preferably of a U-shape in cross-section having the flat face [4 disposed at a right angle with respect to the outer sides of two rearwardly extending arms 22.

The lower end of the standard It) is suitably secured to the outer rearward side of a base 30. The base 30 is preferably of a rectangular shape and is provided with an upwardly extending surrounding flange or rim to which the standard I0 is secured.

A guide member or funnel for fluids 40 is provided, preferably having its wider opening 42 disposed upwardly and its lower opening 44 disposed downwardly in use. The funnel 40 is preferably of conical shape and is provided with an inwardly protruding elongated bump or ridge 50 on its inner side and extending from the opening 42 to the opening 44. The ridge 50 can be formed by crimping the funnel material, leaving a recess 52 in the outer side thereof.

The purpose of the ridge 5!] is to permit air to more freely enter the opening of a bottle at times when the bottle is inverted upon and into the funnel 40.

The funnel 40 is provided at its upper end with V a preferably integral portion 60 which latter extends outwardly from the funnel in a direction transverse to a line between the centers of the funnel openings. 7

The member 60 is provided with an outwardly protruding nib 66 which latter is of greater size and width on its outer end than on its inner end.

The outer end of the nib 66 is preferably of lesser size than the transverse portion I6 of the slot I2 but of greater size than the remainder of the slot I2. The inner portion of the nib 66 is preferably of a size or width smaller than the width of the slot I2. 7

As thus described, the nib 6B is adapted for slidable reception'in the slot I2 but is locked in the s ot I2 except at times when the nib 66 is moved to the slot portion It for removal.

The member 60 is further provided with two downwardly extending tab portions Ii! which are disposed at a right angle to the remainder of the member 6i! and are s aced apart complementally with respect to the outer sides of the arms 22 of the standard Ill, as best seen in Figure 4. The'tab portions 1!) are adapted to slidably engage the outer sides of the arms 22 for steadying the funnel All.

The tabs U! are each provided with two spaced apart upright incisions 16 extending upwardly from the lower edge thereof. The incisions 16 are preferab y disposed in parallelism and are dis osed on the front side of the standard l8 at times when the nib 56 is in place in the slot l2.

The incisions 16 are disposed at either s de of the nibs at, which latter are bent inwardly toward each other, as shown in Figure 6 The nibs 8! are disposed for engaging the front face I4 of the standard It in order to steady the funnel an in use.

As best seen in Figures 2 and 3 the upper end of the standard I ii is provided with a bolt 99 extend ng through the arms 22 thereof for pivotallv securing a bottle-holding member I 09 to the standard Ill.

The member we is elongated and substantial y U-shaped and is provided with a concave inner surface I02 for providing a recess to engage a bottle and a convex outer surface I04 The ends H36 of the member I!!!) are dis osed in parallelism with each other and are out-turned with respect to adiacent portions of the holder Hill. through the ends I06 that the bo t 9!.) extends and the ends I535 are dis osed engaging the outer sides of the arms 22 in use. The member Hi0 is provided with two downwardly extending tangs IIi'i dis osed one each on the inner side thereof ad acent the parallel end portions I86. The tangs I IE! are bent inwardly with respect to adjacent portions of the member I90, as best seen in Figure 1, for engaging the front face I 4 of the standard I0.

The tangs Ill! are provided with rearward edges for engaging the surface I4 which are disposed substantially at a right angle with res ect to the member I 06, whereby the tangs I If! engage the face Id to hold the bottle-holder Ill!) in a position extending outwardly at a right angle from the standard I0.

In operation it will be seen that a bottle of ketchup can be placed in inverted position in the funnel it! at a time when the ho der I110 is in an u right posit on. The holder Ill!) can then be pivoted downwardly over the upper end of the bottle for holding it securely in place.

A second bottle or other container can then be placed on or in the base 30 beneath the funnel 4 i 40. The funnel can be adjusted upwardly and downwardly in the slot I2 to accommodate various sizes of receiving bottles. V

"Ketchup and other slow-draining liquids of low viscosity can be efficiently drained in these position without the attention of an operator.

This invention has provided a means for conserving otherwise wasted ketchup and other fluids; it has provided means for removing ketchup and fluids of low viscosity from bottles without costly shaking; and it'has provided an inexpensive device for these purposes which is adjustable for use with various sizes of bottles.

From the foregoing'description it is thought to be obvious that a bottle-holder constructed in accordance with our invention is particularly well adapted for use by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled and operated, and it will also be obvious that our invention is susceptible of some change and modification without departing from the principles and spirit thereof and for this reason we do not wish to be understood as limiting ourselves to the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out our invention in practice except as claimed.

We claim:

A bottle-holder comprising: a normally upright elongated standard having a normally upright elongated slot in one side thereof; a funnel adapted to be disposed adjacent said standard with its wider opening upward and its narrower opening downward, said funnel having an elongated ridge proiecting inwardly from the side wa l thereof and extending in a direction from said smaller opening and to said wider opening; a member for attaching said funnel to said standard, said member having an outwardly projecting nib, the outermost end of said nib being larger than the width of said slot, the inner end of said nib being of a size for slidable reception between the longitudinal walls of said slot; means on said member for engaging that side of said standard on which said funnel is disposed for normally holding said funnel in an upright position, said standard being provided with two oppositey facing parallel upright sides which are disposed in'planes at a right angle to that side of said standard in which said sot is disposed; means on said member for engaging said oppositely facing sides; means for holding to said standard an elongated inverted bottle in up-and-down position at times when the open end of the bottle is disposed in said funnel and the wider opening of said funnel is disposed up wardly; and a base disposed at a right angle to said standard.

WALTER H. BRUNELL. ROBERT D. HAND.

REFERENCES orrnn The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 299,170 Shaper May 27, 1884 750,063 Bedding Jan.19, 1904 1,787,347 Wellemeyer Dec. 30, 1930 1,885,519 Hassensall Nov.1, 1932 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country 7 I Date 15,310 Great Britain July 1, 1913 9 9 2 

